AUBURN, Ala. -- Billy Donovan cautioned his Florida Gators before the game not to assume Casey Prather would instantly return to form after a two-game layoff. Prather scored 16 of his 21 points in the first half in his comeback from a badly bruised right knee and helped No. 7 Florida survive a scare from Auburn in a 68-61 victory on Saturday. Donovans warning proved unnecessary. "That rule went out the window after the first half, when he had 16," the coach said. "He was clearly going to play a lot more since he played so well. "Im not so sure if hes hurt again this game, that this is a game we could pull out." Prather made eight of 10 shots for the Gators (15-2, 4-0 Southeastern Conference), who have won nine straight games and eight in a row at Auburn (8-7, 0-4). Donovan said Prather looked just OK in practice Thursday with no contact, but fared better the day before the game. "He was like, When you come back to practice, are you going to baby it or are you going to play?" Prather said. "I said I was going to play." Tahj Shamsid-Deen hit a jump shot with 1:59 left to cut Floridas lead to 62-61, but Scottie Wilbekin answered with a fadeaway jumper. "We didnt really have anything going on that possession," Wilbeken said. "My first drive, I didnt have anything so I tried to give it to Casey Prather coming around behind me. His man denied him, so I had to make another move and I just made it." Wilbekin, who scored 16 points, made two of four free throws over the final 48 seconds. Patric Young blocked KT Harrells attempt to bring Auburn to within two points in between those trips to the line. Kasey Hill made two late free throws for the final margin. Young scored 13 for Florida, which outrebounded Auburn 31-23. Chris Denson, the SECs leading scorer, had 15 of his 21 points in the second half to help keep the Tigers close. Harrell added 18 points and made 4 of 7 3-pointers. Allen Payne finished with 11 points. "They made the plays down the stretch and we didnt," Auburn coach Tony Barbee said. Auburn has lost its first four SEC games by a combined 23 points. The Tigers have dropped their last 14 against league teams overall. The Gators, who lost a 13-point lead in the first half, made 21 of 39 shots (53.8 per cent). Florida made 23 of 33 free throws while Auburn was 14 of 22. The Tigers point guards, Shamsid-Deen and Malcolm Canada, both fouled out. Prather got right into his offensive rhythm after the layoff. He came in with 16:58 remaining, hit two quick jump shots and made his first five attempts, including a fast-break dunk off a nice bounce pass from Hill. The Gators reeled off a 14-1 run for a 23-10 lead while the Tigers missed their first 10 attempts from inside the 3-point line. Walk-on Alex Thompson finally scored on a putback 13 minutes into the game for Auburns first basket since making a third consecutive 3-pointer with 14:28 left in the half. Auburn hit all five of its 3-point attempts in the first half and finished 7 of 13. Despite Prathers surge, the Gators barely led at halftime. Wilbekin made two free throws with 3 seconds left to give Florida a 33-32 halftime lead. Auburn had scored 14 consecutive points to briefly take the lead. "Florida has the best defence I have ever seen," said Denson, adding that the Gators altered a number of shots. "I was the one in the first half that missed a lot of layups, but I think it was a little bit of nerves. Playing the No. 7 team in the country, and I was just anxious. We got the nerves out and then started getting in the grooves offensively." Florida pushed the lead as high as 48-40 in the first seven minutes after the half, but couldnt pull away. Auburn announced before tipoff that reserve guard Chris Griffin has left school and is transferring. Griffin averaged 5.7 points in seven games as a junior before he was indefinitely suspended for violating school policy on Jan. 11. 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Babe Herman Youth Jersey .Kraft says Goodell realized before seeing a video showing Baltimore running back Ray Rice striking his then fiance that domestic violence was very serious for society in general. NEW YORK -- The New York Rangers escaped with two points they believed they deserved even though they gave up a goal they felt the Toronto Maple Leafs didnt earn. Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. The game was forced into overtime because of Nazem Kadris goal with 1:24 left in regulation -- one the Rangers thought shouldnt have counted. After a wraparound attempt, David Clarkson took two whacks at the puck at the right post, and Talbot appeared to cover it, but Kadri came in and poked it in under Talbots pad. The NHL reviewed it in Toronto and said the goal should stand. "In my opinion, that was the wrong call," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "The referee told Brad (Richards) on the ice that if they didnt score on the wraparound, then it wasnt a goal. They didnt score on the wraparound. "The puck was underneath Cams pad. How (the reviewers) saw it differently, Im not quite sure. Youve just got to play through those things, and thats what we did." The Rangers held off the Maple Leafs in a spirited overtime that produced several scoring chances and then outlasted them in the shootout. Zuccarello and Stepan scored in the first two rounds, and Talbot stopped Kadri in the third to end it. Joffrey Lupul was the only Toronto player to score in the tiebreaker. Talbot was relieved the Rangers pulled out the victory. "I would have been pretty devastated, especially with the game we played," he said. "We deserved to win the game, and to get a goal like that against us could have really hurt us, but we kind of let it go, pushed forward and got the eventual game-winner." Jonathan Bernier was exceptional for Toronto, making 42 saves through overtime and allowing only J.T. Millers goal 7:04 into the third period. The Maple Leafs played their third straight shootout and lost for the second consecutive time. They are 2-5-2 in their last nine. "We played a very solid road game," Toronto captain Dion Phaneuf said. "It was very good to get a point." Talbot, starting over slumping No. 1 netminder Henrik Lundqvist for the second sttraight game, bounced back from the late goal and improved to 8-2 in his first NHL season.dddddddddddd He made 24 saves Sunday in a 4-1 win over Minnesota and helped New York finish its team-record, nine-game homestand 3-4-2. He nearly earned his third shutout in 12 career NHL games, all this season. The Rangers next play on Friday at Washington. Who will start in goal then for New York remains to be seen. "It is safe to say that were leaving for the holidays on a much happier note," Vigneault said. "Its going to be a pleasant three days. "My parents are 81 and 79. I havent been home for Christmas with my girls for eight years, so I am looking forward to that." Miller, recalled from Hartford (AHL) on Thursday, scored his second of the season when he came off the bench, streaked down the slot, and took a crisp pass from Chris Kreider from behind the net. Toronto nearly grabbed the lead just over four minutes into the third when Nikolai Kulemin was stopped in front and then had another drive hit the right post, slide along the goal line, and stay out. The no-goal call was confirmed by video review. Bernier kept the Maple Leafs in it, especially during the second period when the Rangers had a 22-5 edge in shots. New York was dominant again in the middle frame one night after a 17-5 advantage against Minnesota when the Rangers scored twice. "I dont think we played our best game, but we hung in there," Bernier said. "We stole a point probably." Bernier got the starting nod from coach Randy Carlyle two nights after he replaced James Reimer, who was pulled against Detroit after giving up three goals on 12 shots in the first period. Bernier made 25 saves in relief, but Toronto was beaten in a shootout. "Our goaltender stood on his head. Thats all you can ask in a game like this one," Carlyle said. NOTES: Talbot made back-to-back starts two other times this season but not on consecutive days. ... Rangers D Marc Staal took a hard skate Monday morning, while recovering from a concussion, and could be nearing a return. Staal missed his eighth game since he was struck in the head by the arm of New Jerseys Reid Boucher on Dec. 7. ... Reimer had started three straight games for the first time this season before Monday. ' ' '